Pasta Vino

Midwest Living Review

Josh Wimmer

This Italian restaurant serves generous plates of comfort food inspired by family tradition.

Pasta Vino isn't large, but that's the point. Owner Pete D'Amico, who ran another Italian place just down the road for 22 years before moving here, deliberately kept things small: He wanted guests to feel like they were eating dinner in his dining room. He succeeded, and it's worth the wait for one of the six tables inside (there are a few more on the porch during the warmer months). D'Amico learned to cook from his Sicilian grandma, and now blends her region's cuisine with that of Northern and Southern Italy to create a menu that will satisfy any palate. Portions are generous, to say the least, and entrees come with a choice of pasta plus soup or salad. Our meal started with warm Italian semolina bread with sesame seeds and an olive oil blend. Our entrees included soup (the Italian wedding soup was perhaps the best we've tasted) or salad (Asiago cheese and dried cherries on the cherry-spinach salad created a lovely salty-sweet balance) and a piece of crusty garlic bread. For the main course, we'd highly recommend the chicken Merlot. We left a little behind and have regretted it ever since. Open daily for dinner from mid-May to October. Be prepared for a little wait on busy nights, especially during the tourist season, as Pasta Vino doesn't take reservations. Also note that there are charges for splitting dishes and checks, but such little peccadilloes are worth it, given the cozy atmosphere and great food.